Promoting Climate-Smart Pulses for Resilient Farming in Odisha

Date

April 03, 2025

Published by

ICARDA Communication Team

Donors

World Bank

Category

News

Farmers’ Field Day at Khadiapala, Keonjhar, Odisha, India Photo credit: Ashis Kumar Jena, District Coordinator, IAP project

The Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA), funded by the World Bank, is a collaboration between ICARDA, the Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production (DA&FP), and the Department of Water Resources, Government of Odisha introduced climate-smart pulses for crop intensification to transform cropping systems in Odisha in the tank command areas of Keonjhar district.

The initiative strengthens pulse production by organizing Pani Panchayat members, Farmer Producer Groups (PGs), and Farmer Collectives in tank command areas. It ensures timely access to high-quality seeds of improved varieties, builds informal seed systems, links PGs to markets, and equips farmers with best practices to enhance their incomes.

The project builds farmers' capacity for quality seed production by introducing climate-smart pulse varieties, promoting good management practices, and developing sustainable seed systems. It also integrates value addition and market linkages while encouraging climate-resilient techniques such as winter pulse cultivation using residual moisture and efficient water management in Minor Irrigation Projects (MIPs).

A key milestone of the ICARDA-OIIPCRA project was the Farmers’ Field Day (FFD), held on March 12, 2025, in Khadiapala village, Chakratirtha MIP, Anandapur block, Keonjhar District.

farmers_field_day_at_khadiapala_keonjhar_odisha_india — Farmers’ Field Day at Khadiapala, Keonjhar, Odisha, India -Photo credit: Ashis Kumar Jena, District Coordinator, IAP project

The Additional Director of Agriculture (Extension), DA&FP, was the Chief Guest, along with representatives from ICARDA, RRTTS, KVK, OSSC, and local agricultural departments. 105 participants, including 64 men and 41 women, attended the FFD. Among them, 76 farmers from four tank command area villages participated.

The highlight of the day was a visit to the Pulses Variety and Technology Park established in Keonjhar. Farmers explored diverse pulse varieties, gaining firsthand knowledge of best cultivation practices.

pulse_variety_and_technology_park_at_khadiapala_keonjhar_odisha_india.jpeg — Pulse Variety and Technology Park at Khadiapala, Keonjhar, Odisha, India Photo credit: Ashis Kumar Jena, District Coordinator, IAP project

The Technology park showcased improved varieties of chickpea (NBeG-452, NBeG-49, GNG 2299, and Local), field pea (IPFD 10-12, IPFD 12-2, and Local White), grasspea (Prateek and Bargarh Local), lentil (Lentil-220, L-4717, Sekhar-5, and Local), green gram (Sikha, Virat, Shreejan, Varsha, and Black-seeded Local), and black gram (OBG-41, Sekhar-2, IPU-2-43, VBN-11, VBN-9, Kota URD-4, OBG-33, LBG-787, and Local). This hands-on learning experience provided practical demonstrations of advanced farming techniques and helped farmers identify the best-suited varieties for their regions.

farmers_interaction_at_pulse_variety_technological_park_at_khadiapala_keonjhar_odisha_india.jpeg — Farmer’s interaction at Pulse variety Technological Park at Khadiapala, Keonjhar, Odisha, IndiaPhoto credit: Ashis Kumar Jena, District Coordinator, IAP project

Department officials and ICARDA scientists recognized Producer Group members for their role in adopting and promoting climate-smart agricultural practices. Their efforts have strengthened the pulse seed system, fostering sustainable agricultural growth. Events like Farmers’ Field Days provide farmers with practical insights into techniques that boost yields, increase incomes, and enhance food and nutritional security. These collaborative efforts demonstrate the transformative impact of climate-smart agriculture in Odisha.